Stanford beats Oregon State 27-23

STANFORD -- It took good fortune and a breathtaking play, but Stanford stayed alive in the Rose Bowl race Saturday with a 27-23 victory over Oregon State at Stanford Stadium.

The Cardinal dominated early, watched the Beavers reel off 23 consecutive points, then rallied with two touchdowns to overcome one of its sloppiest performances of the season.

Stanford committed eight penalties and a season-high four turnovers. But the defense saved the day, holding Oregon State to just three points on the ensuing possessions.

"We weren't perfect today,'' said Cardinal coach David Shaw, whose team will have to be flawless next week when it visits No. 2 Oregon.

"But the one thing you can count on with our guys is they are going to fight all the way to the end, and they did that."

Stanford's latest come-from-behind victory -- this was the third of the season, all at home -- began with a dazzling 40-yard catch-and-run by tailback Stepfan Taylor that pulled the Cardinal within 23-21.

Stanford caught its biggest break of the season midway through the fourth quarter, when Beavers quarterback Cody Vaz dropped the ball during a scramble. Stanford recovered and quickly turned the gaffe into the game-winning touchdown: a 13-yard pass from freshman quarterback Kevin Hogan to tight end Zach Ertz with 5:07 remaining.

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"I saw good coverage, but anytime you can get Zach out there 1-on-1 -- not many people can cover him,'' said Hogan, who had three touchdown passes and two interceptions in his first start. "He ran a great route to get behind the defense.''

The victory cleared two paths to the Rose Bowl for the No. 16 Cardinal:

If Stanford (8-2, 6-1) runs the table, it would head to Pasadena as the Pac-12 champion.

If Stanford loses to Oregon next week but beats UCLA in the regular-season finale, it could reach the Rose Bowl as an at-large qualifier.

That scenario depends on the results of other games and would require Oregon to jump into the national championship.

For now, the Cardinal's priority is the path to Pasadena that involves winning the conference title.

The fourth-quarter escape against Oregon State allowed Stanford to conclude its home season with a 6-0 record. (Five of the wins have been by a touchdown or less.) The senior class, which includes Taylor, has lost just two home games in four years: to Cal in '09 and Oregon last season.

"It has been an emotional day for a lot of us,'' senior linebacker Alex Debniak said.

The Cardinal dominated early as Hogan directed a 93-yard touchdown drive -- the longest of the season -- midway through the first quarter.

Stanford held OSU without a first down and took possession at its 20. Ten plays later, Hogan rolled right and hit fullback Ryan Hewitt for a 12-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

But the Beavers adjusted. Using well-timed runs and short passes to spread Stanford's defense, they gained 140 yards in the second quarter and trimmed the Cardinal's lead to 14-10 at halftime.

Oregon State kept the pressure on in the third quarter, covering 75 yards on its first possession to take a 17-14 lead. OSU added two field goals and was in command as the quarter neared its conclusion.

But on the final play, Hogan tossed a short pass to Taylor on the left sideline, and the senior took it from there. He broke a tackle, cut right, broke another tackle, weaved through the OSU defense and into the end zone.

"That gave them momentum,'' Beavers coach Mike Riley said. "That was big for them, and then, of course, the turnover.''

That would be Vaz's fumble: The ball slipped out of his hand on a routine scramble, and Stanford's Josh Mauro pounced on it at the 29. Six plays later, Hogan hit Ertz in the end zone for the game-winner.

Kickoff for the Oregon game will be announced Sunday; several broadcast windows are available, with 5 p.m. being the most likely.

Taylor rushed for 114 yards Saturday, increasing his season total to 1,061. He's the first running back in Stanford history to record three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.